Crews work to demolish Doyle Drive, the narrow approach to the Golden Gate Bridge, in San Francisco, Calif., Sunday, April 29, 2012. The 1.6-mile approach, which opened along with the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937, closed for good at 8 p.m. Friday between Marina Boulevard/Richardson Avenue and Highway 1. Crews spent the weekend demolishing Doyle Drive, which will be replaced by the $1.1 billion Presidio Parkway project. At bottom right is the southbound tunnel, which will be used by both directions of traffic until the northbound tunnel is complete.

Congrats, Bay Area, we're getting good at this. Despite worries about traffic snarls, ruined weekend plans and missed construction deadlines, the latest freeway shutdown came and went without a hitch.

The challenge was the 57-hour closure of Doyle Drive, a major approach to the Golden Gate Bridge, for demolition work and temporary repairs. Heeding the warnings about gridlock, drivers stayed away from the bridge in droves. Crews deployed 40 giant excavators that jack hammered the antiquated roadway into rubble while other teams put down fresh pavement. It was even a party for hundreds of onlookers who biked and hiked to watch the work from Presidio hillsides.

Beyond the spectacle, there's another message: Bay Area drivers can adjust when big challenges are asked of them. Similar weekend closures of the Bay Bridge and the Dumbarton span for repair work have gone off well as travelers used other routes, transit or staying home.

This flexible spirit is a good thing to count on. Local roads and bridges need serious work, and more closures lie ahead. Doyle Drive will require another shutdown and traffic changes as the rebuild continues. The Bay Bridge is due for another brief closure next year when traffic shifts to the new east span.

Careful planning and smooth construction work are helping rebuild worn-out roadways and bridges. Add another ingredient: a public willingness to cooperate.